Newsletter

Letter: Let's compromise on transient boats

Editor: I read the comments about the boat mooring versus anchoring in St. Augustine. I have been going to sea for over 55 years, mostly on yachts as crew or delivering them from one port to another. I have encountered very few truly derelict boats. I have lived in Sausalito where many lived on “houseboats”, roundly disliked by those who lived in the nice homes on the hill, as the houseboats did not pay property tax. They did not get police or fire protection either.

I personally lived on a small, 36-foot WWII landing craft at the end of a long dock. I paid rent. I have seen every town in New England that has a harbor also has a mooring field for which they charge rent. There are also many free anchorages.

It was established very early in the history of our country that our sailors were free to use our waters with out fees. Many of the cruising sailors that anchor here cannot afford the nice yachts you see in Camachee Cove Marina.

People such as myself who must live on Social Security cannot travel with their boats — very often their only home — and afford to pay rent every night to a greedy city.

St. Augustine has a federal waterway through it, the exact boundary I do not know. I would think that anchored vessels that did not obstruct navigation would be free to anchor.

However I think a fair compromise would be for the city to allow free use of a mooring for a set period of time for a visiting sailor.

That sailor would spend money in the city as would any tourist.

One final note: It has often been said that the “live aboard” people pollute the harbor. Not true. The Coast Guard requires either a sewage disposal system or a holding tank that must be pumped out. There are harbors that have a business person that has a pump-out collection boat for which he charges a fee. The St. Augustine city dock has a pump out and charges a fee. How difficult would it be for the dockmaster to record the name of the boat pumped out and the date? How difficult is it to note if any boat that is occupied does not come in for pump-out and to pass such information to authorities? It’s very simple to note the number of people living on the boat and the capacity of their holding tank. The rest is simple math!

To be able to live in the home of personal choice and travel freely is a great freedom that should not challenged. I would be living on a boat, but my wife of many years loves the 100-year-old house we have in St. Augustine South and has no wish to leave.